The Haunted Lake Shumoso
by Meilin-Maxwell
Summary: Sanosuke has some midnight visits from his captain in order to go to the government to avenge his captain. i know the summery sounds boreing but it is a very good story


Sanosuke stared at the night sky, looking over Shumoso lake, the cold night wind blowing threw his hair. He sighed thinking of all the bad memories he had of Captain Sagara and the Sekihotai, and it's demise. A tear fell down his cheek remembering the revolting image of Captain Sagara's head sitting on the mantle for the public's eyes to see.  
  
Sanosuke: why did it have to be like this?  
  
He shivered feeling something cold going threw his body. Turning around he saw the ghostly figure of Captain Sagara.  
  
Sanosuke: is....is it really you Captain Sagara?  
  
Sagara: yes...it is Sano...  
  
Sanosuke: so you and the Sekihotai haunt this lake or something?  
  
Captain Sagara watched Sanosuke as he turned toward the river. He looked down in sorrow and disbelief.  
  
Sanosuke: Are you ever gonna come back?  
  
Sagara: Sanosuke, i am dead remember.....i can't change the past. But you can change the future if you stop greving over the Sekihotai and start your life, i can return to the underworld and not have to worry about you...  
  
Sanosuke: so you have been watching over me?  
  
Sanosuke looked back to see the fading image of the person he looked up to the most, as Captain Sagara nodded and vanished out of sight.  
  
Sanosuke: you said you would always be with me!!  
  
He yelled falling to his knees crying.  
  
Sanosuke: but your not....  
  
*at the Kamiya Dojo*  
  
Kaoru: YAHIKO!  
  
Yahiko: nanananana! you can't get me you ugly racoon!  
  
Yahiko ran past Kenshin in a hurry with Kaoru chasing after him with her wooden sword. Kenshin put some more wood into the fire for Kaoru's bath and smiled at the two chasing eachother.  
  
Kenshin: they act like brother and sister that they do....  
  
Kaoru and Yahiko pulled and pushed on eachother when a voice of a young woman at the front gate hit their ears.  
  
Megumi: hey Sir Ken...  
  
Kenshin: hello there Ms. Megumi...  
  
Kenshin stood up wiping his hands off of all the wood chips that had gotten on him from getting Kaoru's bath ready.  
  
Megumi: have any of you guys seen Sanosuke lately?  
  
Kaoru: he said that he was going to Shumoso lake for some odd reason  
  
Kenshin: i wonder when he will be back..  
  
Yahiko: well, at least he got away from this ugly racoon!  
  
Kaoru: yahiko!!!!  
  
Kaoru yelled as she started to chase after Yahiko again. Kenshin turned toward the dojo door and started towards it.  
  
Kaoru: where are you going Kenshin?  
  
Kenshin: i am gonna see if i can find Sano...  
  
Yahiko: i'll come too!  
  
Yahiko ran toward the door and was about to open it when it opened by itself hitting Yahiko in the head causing him to fall flat on his face.  
  
Sanosuke: oh sorry Yahiko...didn't see ya there...  
  
Yahiko sat up and rubbed his nose  
  
Yahiko: yeah sure!  
  
Sanosuke closed his eyes and laughed.  
  
*that night* Sanosuke rolled around in bed that night sweating from all the memories that flooded his dreams. He wished that they would've come true and that he could change time, but that was impossible. He sat up, breathing hard and layed back down.  
  
Sano: Captain..........Sagara  
  
Sanosuke managed to breath out before sleep took over. The senary changed to a mountain range area as Sanosuke and Kastu swam in the river trying to catch fish. Sanosuke spotted one and jumped in after in only for it to swim away and him to get soaked. Captain Sagara sat on a rock laughing at the two's pathetic atempt to catch dinner for that night. Kastu glared at Captain Sagara.  
  
Katsu: hey! captain sagara..if you are so good at swordsmanship i would like to see you catch a fish...  
  
Captain Sagara sat there with a smug expression on his face as he layed his sword down by Sanosuke's. He bent down to take off his shoes as sanosuke got out of the lake. Katsu swam up to his captain and grabbed the back of his jacket.  
  
Katsu: come on captain!!  
  
He yelled pulling Captain Sagara in the lake. He came up out of the water and spit some out of his mouth.  
  
Sagara: you know, salt water is not very good.  
  
The two young boys laughed at their captain's remark.  
  
Sanosuke: it's not supposed to taste good  
  
Katsu: yeah..now lets see you get one...  
  
Sagara: okay...  
  
Captain Sagara stood up and looked around for a fish, he spotted one and tryed to get it. He missed and heard Sanosuke snickering. He got a hand full of water and splashed it at Sanosuke laughing himself.  
  
Sagara: okay you wanted me to catch one huh? ....  
  
He bent over again and almost caught one when the voice of a member of the Sekihotai called out.  
  
Nabishi: captain sagara sir!  
  
Sagara: yes?  
  
Nabishi stared at his captain who was in the river soaking wet with Katsu bending over him laughing and Sanosuke rolling on the ground holding his stomach in a fit of giggles.  
  
Nabishi: um....heh...what are you doing in the river soaking wet?  
  
Sagara: the kids wanted to see if I could catch a fish.  
  
Nabishi: it seems that you made a poor atempt to it sir..  
  
Sagara: yes...it does doesn't it?  
  
Nabishi: well sorry to interupt your fun but the Government General Tatewaki Shindou wants a word with the Sekihotai.  
  
Captain Sagara stood up and walked out of the river shaking his head and getting Nabishi a little wet. He looked over at Sano and picked up his sword, putting it back in the sash around his waist and walking off with Nabishi. He called back to Sanosuke and Katsu.  
  
Sagara: you two stay here okay, i expect two fishes at the fire by the time i get back okay.  
  
Sanosuke: but...  
  
Katsu: we wanna....  
  
Sagara: those are your captains orders okay kids?  
  
He looked back and smiled. Sanosuke and Katsu smiled back as they walked off.  
  
Sanosuke: well we better get started  
  
Katsu: i bet i can get one before you!  
  
Sanosuke: yeah sure! you wish!  
  
Sanosuke and Katsu jumped into the river after fish. but little did the two innocent boys know that their night of fun was gonna turn into a night of terror.  
  
*that morning*  
  
Sanosuke walked threw the woods and, tree leaves crunching under his feet. The sun had barely even set making the sky pinkish. He moved some low hanging branches out of his way and jumped over a rock to enter the place where the Sekihotai had met its end. He looked around trying to catch the ghostly figure of Captain Sagara. There was no sign of him, maybe he had left and returned to the underworld.  
  
Sanosuke: damnit! i thought'd he'd be here....  
  
He sat down on a rock by the river and watched a fish swim by. He smiled.  
  
Sanosuke: he never caught one.....  
  
sanosuke held in laughter until a rock soared threw the air and hit Sanosuke square in the forehead. He fell over backward and sat himself up glaring at the trees. Who had done it? there was no one there!  
  
Voice: you are hopeless Sanosuke...  
  
Sanosuke turned around to see his captains figure smirking holding a pebble, tossing it up and down. He glared at him rubbing his head where the rock had left a red spot.  
  
Sanosuke: that hurt!!  
  
Sagara: no kidding....what are you doing here?  
  
Sanosuke: i ...wanted to see you again.  
  
His captain shook his head dissapointingly.  
  
Sagara: you need to let us go...  
  
Sanosuke: NEVER! not until we get revenge on those damn Imperialists!  
  
Sagara: they won't listen to you, they probably won't even believe you if you told them that you were part of the Sekihotai.  
  
Sanosuke: who cares if they don't believe..........Katsu will help me...i'm sure we can avenge you.  
  
Captain Sagara shook his head one final time and dissapeared as the sun hit the moutain tops.  
  
*Katsu's place*  
  
Katsu: you wanna what?  
  
Sanosuke: you heard me!  
  
Their plan was to get the government to atleast reconize the Sekihotai as a ture imperial army. They didn't know how they would reconize them though. That afternoon they were to go to the government and raise all hell with them until they were either thrown in jail or they would agree to their proposal to the Sekihotai.  
  
Katsu and Sanosuke walked up to the gate of the House of Iternal Affairs and walked in. They knocked out the guards in front of the gate and by the door entering the mansion. They walked into the mansion looking around. It looked royal. Almost like a castle. Just then one of the memeber rushed down the stairs hearing of the complaint that the guards had been knocked out. He spotted Sano and Katsu.  
  
Man: who are you?  
  
Katsu: just some former Sekihotai member that want to avenge our captain...  
  
The man backed up to the wall as they aproched him.  
  
Man: ...what do you want?!  
  
*the kamiya dojo*  
  
Kaoru was still chasing Yahiko when sanosuke walked in. Kenshin looked up from doing the laundary .  
  
Kenshin: hey there sano!  
  
Kaoru stopped chasing Yahiko and walked over to sanosuke.  
  
Kaoru: hey Megumi is inviting us all..yes you too...to the Accabecco for a party. You gonna join us?  
  
Sano nodded.  
  
Sanosuke: why not?  
  
* at the Accabecco *  
  
Kenshin laughed at Yahiko as he shoved piles of rice into his mouth at one time  
  
Kenshin: you better be careful or you'll choke Yahiko..  
  
Yahiko: i moof matt!  
  
He sputtered out still chewing rice.  
  
Kaoru: it's not nice to chew with your mouth full Yahiko.  
  
Megumi: chew with your mouth full?  
  
Kaoru: errr...Talk!  
  
Kaoru scolded him as Ms. Tai came by with some Sake for Sanosuke.  
  
Ms. Tai: here you are Sano.  
  
Sano: thanks i'll pay you back..  
  
Megumi: humph..like you ever do..  
  
Sano: what was that..  
  
Megumi: oh nothing  
  
She said turning her head giggling. Sanosuke sulked as he poured himself some and watched the others helping Yahiko cause he was choking. what friends Sanosuke thought as he watched them some more. They bring back old memories. He laughed silently to himself thinking of the night when they came back from catching fish.  
  
Sanosuke and Katsu walked over to the fire carrying a huge fish. Captain Sagara looked at them amazed.  
  
Sagara: whoa! who thought that two little boys could catch such a huge fish  
  
Katsu: actually i am the one who caught it..Sanosuke let his get away!  
  
Sano: Katsu!! that was supposed to be a secret!  
  
Sagara laughed, at them.  
  
Sagara: it's okay boys you two did well  
  
YEAH!  
  
They both exclaimed giving eachother high fives and setting the fish on a stick to roast on the fire. Sano stared at the fire trying to block out the awkward silence. Finally he spoke up not able to bear the silence anymore.  
  
Sano: so Captain Sagara. what did that Tatewaki guy want.  
  
Sagara: i don't know..he said something about meeting all of the Sekihoutai at his camp tomorrow night for some more orders from the government.  
  
Katsu: so..what do you think they want us to do now?  
  
Sano: i don't know...maybe..  
  
Sano said staring into the fire glaring evily.  
  
Sano: they want us to do a nasty thing like....  
  
He got up into Katsu face.  
  
Sano: like create a homicide!  
  
Sagara fell of the rock he was cofortably sitting on. He got back up with a wierd look on his face.  
  
Sagara: i don't think so sano...but he seemed serious.  
  
Sagara sat back on the rock and smiled at them.  
  
You couldn't tell if he was scared or not, thought Sano as he watched Megumi and Kaoru fight over kenshin for the 100th time this week. he didn't seem that way until the night they excuted him. why though......He stood up and slammed down the sake bottle.  
  
Sano: those damn filthy pigs of the MejI!!!  
  
He yelled out causing everyone to stare at him.  
  
*back at the Shumoso Lake*  
  
Sanosuke: what a fool i was today, i could have kept to myself.  
  
He picked up a rock and threw it at the river making it skip across it several times before drowning in the water. Sano sighed and layed out on the lakes edge looking up at the stars.  
  
Sano: this...make me remember of the night when Captain Sagara was murdered.  
  
He closed his eyes and let sleep take over only to be greeted by more nightmares.  
  
Sanosuke ran threw the wood carrying the injured Captain on his shoulders with the soldiers of Hinkaku chasing after them.  
  
Sagara: sanosuke stop...  
  
He heard the words of his captain and stopped near the edge of a cliff.  
  
Sagara: this is as far as we can go, Sano....i want you to go..  
  
Sano layed Sagara down and as soon as he did Captain Sagara got back up and looked at Sano. He glared back at the soldiers of Hinkaku and ran toward Sano pushing him off the cliff and running back to the soldiers, his sword withdrawn.  
  
Sano: CAPTAIN SAGARA!!!  
  
Those words awoke him and so did the morning light. Sano sat up soaked. He looked over to see Katsu with Kenshin and the others. Sano stood up and followed him to the other side of the river. He looked over at Kenshin who was smiling making Megumi and Yahiko kinda nevous.  
  
Katsu: wait till you see this!  
  
He moved the blanket over the rocks...err..what looked like rocks.  
  
Sano: what the? they did it!  
  
He smiled at the river and looked up at the cliff above him. He looked down to see 12 gravestones and in the middle was the biggest one. It read:  
  
Captain Souzo Sagara Leader of the Sekihoutai  
  
*later that night*  
  
Sanosuke walked back over to the river that night and sat down by the tombstone of his long gone captain. He could hear the voice of him trailing in his mind.  
  
Sagara: i am always with you Sano. Remember that....  
  
Why am I always thinking about him. The Sekihoutai ment everything to me, but they left me here all alone. I need to let go of the past. You hear that Captain Sagara.....He thought looking back at the river one last time. You don't need to worry. I am alright now. You can go rest in peace without worrying about me.......goodbye, Captain.  
  
With those last words he took off his headband tied it around the stone. He took one last look at it and walked away. Never returning to the Shumoso river again.  
  
[]x x x x {} :::::::::::::::::::: End ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::{} x x x x x[]  
  
Sanosuke: NONONONONO! THAT"S NOT THE END! how 'bout a sequal... Meilin: -_- of what? Sanosuke: make him come back! Meilin: NO!! Sanosuke: *gets on his knees and begs* make Souzo come back...pwease Meilin: *grabs sano and throws him out the window.* Sanosuke: your not THAT strong... Meilin: hey it's a story i can do anything i want..like this...*goes super saiyan* ^_^ Sanosuke: O_O Meilin: that's it! THE END!! 


End file.
